From digestion to metabolism, we try out products that improve gut health
YOUR gut is essential for digestion, metabolism and overall health.
The best way to keep a healthy gut is eating prebiotic foods – such as wholegrains, bananas, green veg, onions, garlic, soy beans and artichokes – and probiotic foods such as yogurt, which is full of good bacteria. Jane Atkinson looks at new health products on the market that claim to improve gut health.
PILLS
PLANT-based supplement brand Ora Organic has just brought out two new probiotics – Trust Your Gut Daily Essential and Trust Your Gut High Potency.
I tried the daily capsules which contain 16 billion bacteria from six highly-studied lactobacillus and bifidobacterium probiotic strains that were hand-picked to support digestion, the immune system, mood balance and healthy inflammatory response.
What I like about these is that they also contain a decent dose of organic prebiotics – Jerusalem artichoke. Prebiotics are the fibre that feeds probiotics.
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Without them, probiotics don’t work efficiently, but many probiotics don’t contain them.
The dose is two tablets a day, which you can swallow or open up and sprinkle over food.
After a couple of weeks I felt less bloated. It’s £29.99 for a month’s supply, at ora.organic.
KOMBUCHA
KOMBUCHA, quite simply, is fermented sweetened tea.
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Good bacteria and yeasts feed off the sweet tea, consume the sugar and produce delicious flavour compounds and acids along with a gentle fizz for a thirst-quenching, probiotic drink.
I tried out the UK’s first mixed kombucha subscription. The Kombucha Club sends six different gut-loving drinks from local breweries and global brands fortnightly or monthly.
This month’s are from independent breweries – Remedy Peach, You & I Lime & Sea Salt, Loving Foods Blueberry & Lavender, Booyah Vitality Orange & Cinnamon, River Cottage Garden and Laid Bear Original.
It’s a fabulous way to try out different drinks. I have just bought it for someone as a gift.
Starts from £18 for fortnightly or monthly deliveries – see kombuchawarehouse.com.
Gut Gummies
I WANTED to love these because it seems like such a simple way to get a decent dose of gut health.
Myvitamins Gut Gummies contain a billion live cultures called B coagulans, which can promote intestinal digestion by producing various enzymes that facilitate excretion and digestion, plus an added 40mg of vitamin C.
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They come in a mixed berry flavour, taste great and don’t stick to your teeth. The price isn’t too bad either, at £29.99 for two months’ supply.
But they contain sweeteners, beef gelatine and oils that you really don’t need with a probiotic. If you are serious about your gut health, these wouldn’t be top of my list. myvitamins.com.